Framework · 2011–now · Web Boom
Bootstrap
Opinionated CSS that made every site look like a startup for a while. Still the fastest path to a decent admin UI.
How Bootstrap mutated
Bootstrap mutated responsive grids from novelty to default while Tailwind ate custom design mindshare. It stuck on internal tools because pretty-enough beats design-system projects that never ship. The fad was pretending utility classes were cheating.
Compare with
Related
Framework · 2006–2018
jQuery
DOM peace treaty for a fractured browser world. Mission accomplished — then frameworks ate its job.
Framework · 2017–now
Tailwind CSS
Utility classes in markup upset purists and accelerated shipping. Design systems without meeting paralysis.
Practice · 2010–now
Mobile-first / Responsive
Design for the small screen first. Became table stakes, not a differentiator.